A Vermont prosecutor is among 25 people honored for extraordinary acts of heroism by the Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.
Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams was awarded a Carnegie Medal for his attempts to save the life of social worker Lara Sobel, 48, who was gunned down as she left work in Barre in August 2015.
Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams. File photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
According to the announcement, Williams ran out of a building and toward Sobel after he heard shots. He ran toward the shooter, grabbed the weapon and disabled it.
Williams said Wednesday he is “humbled” by the award. He does not know how he was nominated for it — the process is confidential, he said.
He said the award is conflicting for him because, in his view, he was unsuccessful. “The other side of it is that I didn’t get there quick enough,” he said.
“It doesn’t feel medal-worthy to me,” Williams said.
He hopes the award will provide him opportunities to have productive conversations about issues in the state and the justice system, he said.
The commission, established 112 years ago by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, honors American and Canadian civilians for courage in attempting to save the lives of others.
Williams was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in October for his actions during the shooting.
Jody Herring, the woman accused of killing Sobel and three others in central Vermont, is in prison awaiting adjudication. No court dates are currently scheduled in the proceedings.
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